HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS DETECTION IN GENITAL LESIONS BY IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL OBSERVATIONS

Detection of papillomavirus DNA in situ hybridization technique was pe rformed in 29 symptomatic patients (6 males and 23 females) during the period of 1989-1991 at the Clinic for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Universidade Federal Fluminense, State of Rio de Janeiro. All the male patients had condyloma acuminata. Only HPV 6/11 were found in these l esions. Clinical features in the female patients included vulvar condy loma acuminata, bowenoid papulosis, flat cervical condyloma, cervical condyloma acuminatum and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade II ( CIN II). We also found cases of condyloma acuminata associated to vulv ar intraepithelial neoplasia grade III (VIN III), as well as to vagina l invasive carcinoma. HPV 6/11 and 16/18 were found in vulvar condylom a acuminata. Mixed infection by 6/11-16/18 HPV were also seen in these lesions as well as in tile patient who had cervical condyloma acumina tum. HPV 16/18 were found in the condyloma acuminatum plus VIN III and in the CIN II lesions. We have found HPV31/33/51 in the specimen of c ondyloma acuminatum plus invasive carcinoma. In order to investigate t he ultrastructural aspects of HPV infection in genital tissue, the bio psies of three female patients were observed under electron microscope . Mature virus particles were found in the cells of a condyloma acumin atum as well as in the condyloma acuminatum plus invasive carcinoma ca se. In another sample, chromosome breakages were found in the nuclei o f the infected cells although no viral particles were observed.